Window mechanism



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@WCM X9 M( H. C. RICHARDSON WINDOW MECHANISM mm bm. ALI? uw Q 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 H. C. RICHARDSON .WINDOW MEcHANI-SM SO2 26W y mn y Jue 2l, 1949.

Filed March 9, 1945 June 2l, 1949. H. c. RICHARDSON '2,473,821

-wINDoW MECHANISM Filed March 9, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS i Patented June 2l, 1949 WINDOW' MECHANI'SM Harry C. Richardson, Troy, Ohio, 'assignor to .The

Troy Sunshade Company, Troy, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application March 9, 1945, Serial No. 581,788

7 Claims. l

This invention relates to window and operating mechanism such as are usable in street cars and busses and the like.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a window operating mechanism having movable parts connected for effecting raising and lowering of an adjustable window while maintaining such movable parts outside the space vertically adjacent the window so that the window will be visually unobstructed by such parts in all adjusted positions.

Another object of the invention is to provide window and operating mechanism, such as are usable in passenger cars and busses and the like, constructed so that movable parts of the operating mechanism are so connected to an adjustable window as to give substantially unbiased rectilinear travel thereof and likewise so that such movable parts will move within such space as to be non-visible throughout travel and in all positions of the movable window and also to be nonvisible through a window space adjacent said movable window.

It is a further object to provide such a window and operating mechanism which is so constructed and arranged that in all operative positionings the operating parts are at all times out of visually obstructing relation with the main window and also an auxiliary, or so-called standee, window adjacent the main window.

It is a still further object to provide a window and operating mechanism for passenger vehicles, such as street cars and busses, which makes it possibleto have a main window that may be raised and lowered as desired and in addition a standee window above the main window for the use of standing passengers and in which neither window is at any time visually obstructed by any operating parts.

It is also an object to provide operating mechanism for such a window so constructed that movement of the window in either direction may be readily accomplished and that when moved to the end of movement of the window in either direc tion further operation causes reverse travel of the window without injury or damage to any of the parts.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such window and operating construction that damage to the window or operating mechanism will not occur if movement of the window in its normal path of travel is prevented while operating force is still exerted upon the operating mechanism-e. g., as when a book, or the like, on

2 the window sill positively blocks travel of the window.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent 'from the description and claims and the laccompanying drawings.

As is well known, passenger vehicles, such as street cars and busses and `vehicles of that character, frequently carry .more passengers than can be seated and the `other passengers may stand up in the aisles. In such cars it has been the usual practice to provide windows-alongside the seats; and while these vhave been of more or less variable height they have generally provided ready vision for the seated"passengers only and standing passengers could s'ee through them, if at all, only by stoopin'g or bending over.

In the present invention-of which a preferred embodiment is illustrated in the drawings, other windows, positioned vertically above the regular windows for seat passengers, are provided each suliciently high 'up so that passengers who are standing can look out.

Such a window isreferred toas a standee window-i. e., one arrangedabove the usual window for seated passengers "so that a standing passenger can see readily through it. In construction these lower movable seat windows have had operating mechanism vincluding 'gears and a link moved thereby and 'connected to the movable window to raise and lower it, a hand crank being provided for causing operation. In such constructions kthe mechanism has been mounted at the top of the movable window affixed in place between the movable lower section of the window and the upper stationary standee window portion and so arranged that the lower window can be raised and lowered without the mechanism visually obstructing the standee window portion. In addition the mechanism is so arranged that the movable window ysection is raised and lowered in substantially unbiased rectilinear movement by forces which are exerted at both sides of the window'so that it israised or lowered without objectionable tendency to bind in its guide frames.

In the drawing, in which like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several views thereof-- Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, somewhat diagrammatic, from inside thevehicle with the inner side wall ofthe vehicle removed showing two body uprights and a movable window with a standee window placed above it and the window operating mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the operating mechanism generally along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, with some parts of the mechanism broken away for clearer illustration;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional View on the line ll-d of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal fragmentary cross-sectional view of the guideway for the movable window, along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a front elevational View of the operating handle showing concealed parts in dotted lines;

Fig. 7 is a side View of the handle with part broken away and in section to show one of the spring pressed clutch and release members in detail; and

Figs. 8 and 9 show respectively a side and front elevation of the driving disc of the clutch portion of the operating handle.

In the drawings the numerals l0 and lil indicate the hollow side posts of a bus or a railroad coach which serve to sustain the top and the frames for the windows and shades, the frames being omitted for clarity in presentation of the operating mechanism. Inasmuch as there are many ways of constructing these posts no particular description or illustration of their construction will be given. These posts are connected at the bottom of the window by a sill I2 which is also of standard construction. Forming a part of or connected to the sill is a channel member I3 in which is seated the lower end of the window l1 of the car when it is in closed position; a rubber gasket i8 set in the lower end of the window frame serves as a seal against the entrance of the elements. The movable window of the bus comprises a glass pane to which the numeral I7 is applied and a frame 2!) which, in a preferred form of the invention, supports the sides and bottom of the pane but is omitted from the top thereof as shown in Fig. 1, and in which the pane is mounted by means of rubber 2|, or by means of other satisfactory mounting of usual type, the rubber being received within a channel member 22 secured to uprights l0 and l0. Felt or mohair guide and sealing strips 23 seal against the frame member 20,' the glass being held in the channel by means of a rubberized or adhesive strip 24 which prevents rattling. An elongated sealing member 25 bears against the pane Il and seals the top thereof when in closed position. This window is shown in full lines in its closed position and in dotted lines in its fully raised position, in Fig. 1.

In the side of the coach body at a height about level with the head of a standing person is a fixed standee window which is set in a rubber gasket 36 mounted in an aperture formed in the outer metal body portion 3i) of the coach. Inasmuch as many body structures of this type have inner and outer shells it is necessary to form both such shells with openings to form the standee window, the use of glass for the inner opening being optional. Between the lower edge of the standee window and the upper edge of the movable window is a section of metal or the like 40 which may be a separate piece or may be a part of the inner body portion of the coach. Between this section 40 and the outer wall 3D of the coach is mounted a preferred form of window operating mechanism which is designed to forward the accomplishment of the objects of this invention and to raise and lower the movable window withoutrobstructing the standee window.

Attached to offset portions of the posts l0 and I6' in a manner which will not interfere with the vertical movement of the window l 'l is a mounting plate 58 on which two gears of equal size i5 and i6 are mounted, with teeth intermeshecl, for turning movement. Within the housing BQ, which is attached to the plate 55 by a flange El and rivets 62 is a gear G6 which is in mesh with gear C16. On the same shaft with gear 66 is gear 63 which is driven by pinion 6l from the handle 53 on the inside of the coach. This train of gears may be constructed to give any satisfactory degree of mechanical advantage, and preferably has such frictional resistance that it remains in any adjusted position. When the handle G3 is turned the pinion 61 turns the gears 63 and 5S which, being in mesh with gear 65, transmits motion thereto, and the gear 46 turns the gear 45.

The plate 58 has at its upper central portion an upstanding extension 5I upon the central portion of which, between the upper curves of the gears l5 and 116, is mounted a spacing block 52 to which is attached a plate 53 on the ends of which, by means of pins 54 and 55, are pivotally mounted the arms 'l0 and li. Links l2, 13 are pivotally connected to the arms 'i0 and 'H and the gears it, l5 respectively, so that the motion of the gears may be transmitted to the pivoted arms. The arms are similarly curved as shown in Figs. l and 3.

Mounted at the upper ends of the window frame 20 are connections 32, 83 which are generally oi the same outside extent as the channels of the frames but which have reduced ends fitting inside the upper end of the window channel and which are directly attached by screws, rivets or the like, or by welding, as indicated at 8| to opposite sides of the window frame at the top thereof. Likewise aiixed by screws, or other sufliciently rigid interconnection are the angularly directed arms 84, which are rigidly aixed to the lugs 82, 83 by the overturned connecting portions 86 and ST. Links 9B and 9| are pivotally connected at their ends to the arms 'l and l l, and the fixed links or members 84 and 85 respectively.

The proportion of the parts of the operating mechanism is so chosen with respect to the size of the window opening and the height of the frame and glass that when the links 12, 13 are in lower dead center as shown in Fig. 1 the window will be fully closed and sealed against the weather, but so that further motion of the arm 63 will not warp the mechanism or shatter the glass but will cause the links '12, '13 to pass lower dead center and raise the arms lll, il and the window, thus preventing damage to the apparatus by inadvertently applied pressure. Similarly, when the links have reached upper dead center, further motion of the handle in the same direction serves to lower the window as the links are drawn down by the gears 45, 46. The handle can thus be turned in either direction and continuance of the turning will merely cause the window to be alternately raised and lowered. In the position of upper dead center the arms are fully raised and embrace the standee window as indicated in Fig. 1 without obstructing it.

The mechanism which has been described affords a positive means for raising and lowering a window which applied its force equally to both sides of the window frame and in vertical lines. However, it is also necessary to meet certain contingencies in operation. For instance, it is necessary to lock the window automatically in any position to which it is raised by the passenger, s0

that it will not accidentally fall .and injure his arm. In addition it has sometimes happened that a schoolboy will place a book yin the window sill and crank the handle until the window is stopped by the book, then continue to crank until the glass breaks. It is desirable that the window mechanism incorporate features to care for automatically locking the window in place and .for automatically disengaging the handle when the window becomes stuck in vany position where an increase in pressure might have disruptive consequences. These things have been accomplished as follows:

The gears B8, 66 are mounted on pintle |00, which is carried by the plate 50 and a housing 60 which is aixed to the plate lby a flange 6| and rivets or the like 62. The gear 61 is mounted on a pintle |01 carried by the plate50 and housing 60. On the front of the plate 50 is a small housing |02 from which projects the polygonal shaft |03 upon which the handle 63 is mounted. Within the housing |02 is a mechanism for locking the window in whatever position it is turned to by the handle 63. Mechanism of this type is disclosed in U. S. patents identified as Costello 1,687,238, October 9, 1928, and Haskins 1,687,243, October 9, 1928, either of which may be successfully employed for this purpose in this invention, and when so employed will permit free operation of the window by the handle and prevent its being moved by other` means.

From the housing |02 projects a polygonal shaft |03 which passes through a circular opening in the inner wall 40 ofthe Vehicle side. Upon the shaft |03 is mounted a hardened steel disk |05 having a polygonal hole |06 in its center which lits the shaft so that the rotation of the disk will rotate the shaft. Near the inner end of the shaft |03 is an annular groove |09. Upon the inner end of the shaft there is mounted a handle 63, having a circular hole |01 which just ts over the polygonal shaft |03; handle 63 is held in place on the shaft by a pin |08 which, when seated tangentially in the groove |09, permits rotation of the handle about the shaft but prevents disengagement of the shaft and the handle, and holds the flat face |0 of the annular enlargement against the fiat face of the disk |05.

The faces of the disk and handle are so constructed that they form with certain engaging members, a clutch which is self-disengaging when excessive pressures are applied. In .the face of the disk are four curved, annular depressions l2, it being understood that their number could be greater or less. In the enlarged portion of the handle are a corresponding number and arrangement of holes |3 in Which springs I 4 exert pressure upon the bases of Small plungers ||5 having noses IIS which correspond in curvature to the curvature of the depressions H2. The springs in the handle force the noses of the plungers into the depressions in the disk with enough force to lock the handle and disk for integral turning movement under all normal conditions, but the force of the springs is so calculated and chosen that the curved noses of the plungers will be disengaged from the depressions in the disk before the glass will break, permitting the handle to be turned without turning the gears and breaking a window jammed by an inserted object.

The operating mechanism is itself out of sight of the persons in the coach. This mechanism applies its force directly upward and evenly to both sides of the Window so that there is at no time any tendency for the window to jam in .an angular position. A particular advantage of the construction is that `the mechanism cannot be jammed by the exertion oftoo great pressure because, as shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 1, the links 12, 13 having reached a position of radial alignment will be rotated by further motion of the operating handle and -will lower the window; similarlyywhen the Window has reached its fully closed position further motion of the handle in the same direction will raise it. It is impossible to jam the gears or to break the handle by forcing, when the window is in Vpartly open or closed position because the clutch mechanism in the handle prevents the application ofexcessive pressures but immediately functions to reestablish driving connections between the handle and the gears for operation as soon as the need for-excessive pressure is relieved.

Other advantages of the invention are apparent from the description thereof, which is illustrative of good practice but is not intended to constitute a limitation.

While the form of apparatus 'herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. Window mechanism for a vehicle or the like having a main window and auxiliary Window above said main Window for the use of standees comprising a frame for said main window, operating mechanism for raising and lowering said main window and mounted between said main and auxiliary windows in fixed relation to said frame, arms connected to said main window, means actuated by said operating mechanism for moving said arms to raise said main window into overlapping relation with respect to said auxiliary window, said arms being curved to embrace without obstructing said auxiliary window in the raised position of said main window.

2. Window mechanism of the character described for use in a vehicle or the like comprising a main window, an auxiliary window 'located directly vabove and in spaced relation with respect to said main window, operating mechanism located between said windows for raising said main Window to a position where it overlaps said auxiliary window, said loperating mechanism including curved and pivoted arms connected by links to the top of said main window at the opposite ends thereof and so constructed as to embrace said auxiliary window when said main window is fully raised without crossing the line of View through said auxiliary window in any position of said main window, and gears for moving said arms connected thereto by means so constructed that the turning of a handle, operatively connected to the gears, in one directiton will cause continuous raising and lowering of said arms and said window.

3. Window mechanism of the character described f-or use in a vehicle or the like comprising a main window, an auxiliary window located directly -above and in spaced relation with respect to said main window, operating mechanism located between said windows for raising said main window to a position Where it overlaps said auX- iliary window, said operating mechanism being confined to the space between said windows and including links connected to the top of said window at the opposite sides thereof, and curved arms pivotally supported in the space between said windows and connected respectively with said links for causing the raising and lowering of said window, said curved arms lying laterally out- .ardly of said auxiliary window in raised position of the main window, and manually operable means for causing concurrent actuation of said arms in the raising and lowering of said main window, said means being so constructed that continuous operation of the handle in one direction will continuously raise and lower the window, and so that when the resistance of said window to moving approaches the breaking point of the glass the manually operable means will be disengaged from the operating mechanism.

fl. In a vehicle or the like, the combination oi a frame dening a main window aperture and an auxiliary window aperture above said main Iaperture for the use lof standees and spaced vertically from and outside said main aperture, said auX- iliary 'aperture being of lesser width than said main aperture, a window for said main aperture having an unframed upper edge, means for supporting said window in position to close said main aperture and providing for upward movement of said window into overlapping relation with said auxiliary aperture to open said main aperture, operating mechanism for said window carried by said frame in said space between said window apertures, and arm means providing connections between said operating mechanism and the sides of said window for raising and lowering said window to open and close said main aperture, said arm means being movable upwardly into the space at each side o said auxiliary aperture and being thereby shielded from the line of view through each of said apertures in substantially all positions of said window.

5. In a vehicle or the like, :the combination of a frame defining a main window aperture and an auxiliary window aperture above said main aperture for the use of standees and spaced vertically from and outside said main aperture, said auxiliary aperture being of lesser width than said main aperture, a window for said main aperture having an unframed upper edge, means for supporting said window in position to close said main aperture and providing for upward movement of said window into overlapping relation with said auxiliary aperture to open said main aperture, operating mechanism for said window carried by said frame in said space between said window apertures, and arms and links connecting said operating mechanism with the sides of said window for raising and lowering said window to open and close said main aperture, said arms being curved and embracing said auxiliary aperture in the raised position of said window to be maintained out of the line of view through each of said apertures.

6. In a vehicle or the like, the combination of a frame defining a main window aperture and an auxiliary window aperture above said main aperture for the use of standees and spaced vertically from and outside said main aperture, said auxiliary aperture being of lesser width than said main aperture and having its outer sides curved, a window for said main aperture, means for supporting said window in position to close said main aperture and providing for upward movement of said window into overlapping relation with said auxiliary aperture to open said main aperture, operating mechanism for said window carried by said frame in said space between said window apertures, and arms and links connecting said operating mechanism with the sides of said window for raising and lowering said window to open and close said main aperture, said arms including portions curved to match said curved sides of said auxiliary aperture and in raised position embracing said curved aperture sides for concealment in said space adjacent said auxiliary aperture 'without crossing the line of view -through said auxiliary aperture.

7. In a vehicle or the like, the combination oi a frame defining a main window aperture and an auxiliary window aperture above said main aperture for the use of standees and spaced vertically from and outside said main aperture, said auxiliary aperture being of lesser width than said main aperture and having its outer sides curved, a window for said main aperture, means for supporting said Window in position to close said main aperture and providing for upward movement Iof said window into overlapping relation with said auxiliary aperture to open said main aperture, operating mechanism for said window mounted in said frame between said aperture, a pair of arms pivotally mounted in said frame adjacent the lower edge of said auxiliary aperture and curved to match said curved sides of said aperture, means connecting the yopposite ends of said arms to the sides of said window, and means connecting said arms to said operating mechanism for upward swinging movement of said arms through the space adjacent said curved sides of said auxiliary aperture to raise said window without crossing the line of view through either of said apertures, said arms when in upper dead center position embracing said auxiliary window aperture.

HARRY C. RICHARDSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the nie of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,570,011 Serste Jan. 19, 1926 1,641,954 Akerman Sept. 13, 1927 1,720,063 Serste July 9, 1929 2,153,689 Floraday Apr. 1l, 1939 2,263,062 Allen 1 Nov. 18, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 673,002 Germany Mar. 14, 1939 685,419 Germany Dec. 18, 1939 

